newsletter 1 - psi newsletter - april 2015
TRANSCRIPT
to to [email protected] and should be received no later than Spm on Monday,
1ath May 2015.
Share Transfers - How does this affect a pharmacy's registration?
Changes in the shareholding of a limited company which owns a pharmacy can affect the pharmacy's registration. In some cases these changes can have the effect of automatically cancelling the pham,acy's registration and the pharmacy will have to re-register with the PSI. Therefore, it is very important that the PSI is infom,ed of all transactions involving the disposal or acquisition of shares in limited companies which are registered as pham,acy owners on our registers.
The PSI website has been updated to provide clarity to pharmacy owners in relation to this matter and to assist pharmacy owners who may be considering making changes to their pharmacy's ownership structure. [Continue reading.]
Domperidone Test Purchase Exercise
The results of a European Medicines Agency (EMA) evaluation of the benefits and risks of domperidone, due to concerns of cardiac adverse effects, were published in April 2014, and found that people who take the drug may have an increased risk of serious cardiac adverse drug reactions. A higher risk was observed in patients over 60 years old, adults taking daily oral doses of more than 30mg and those concomitantly taking QT-prolonging medicines or CYP3A4 inhibitors.
In light of the findings of th is evaluation, there were a number of changes to the treatment advice for domperidone containing medicines, and the package leaflet and Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPCs) of affected products were updated. In October 2014, the PSI published updated Guidance on the Safe Supply of Non-Prescription Medicinal Products Containing Domperidone, to highlight these changes to pharmacists. This guidance was circulated to all pharmacists in Issue 8, 2014 of our newsletter.
The PSI carried out a mystery shopper exercise in December 2014 to check whether non-prescription medicines containing domperidone were being supplied in accordance with the updated marketing authorisation for domperidone and the PSI Guidance. A test sample of 50 community pham,acies were selected at random for inclusion in the exercise and the findings of this are now available on the PSI website, along with advice for pham,acists. [Continue reading.]
Dispensing Prescriptions from Online Doctor Services
It has been brought to the PSI's attention that there are an increasing number of companies providing on line doctor services to patients. The PSI would like to remind pharmacists of the importance of complying with their legal and professional requirements when dispensing a prescription from an online doctor.
Pham,acists are particularly reminded of the requirement to have a legally valid prescription for the supply of a prescription only medicine. The Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2003 (as amended) detail the format a prescription must adhere to for it to be legally valid. A fax or photocopy of a prescription, or a prescription which has been emailed either to the patient or pharmacy, is not a legally valid prescription.
The PSI has previously issued Advice on Emergency Supply which outlines
